Roller Skates and Mini-Trains

Last weekend we had a three day weekend because it was Republic Day in India. We decided to stay in town so we could go to a friend's surprise 1/2 birthday party, but we also wanted to take advantage of being here in India and having a long weekend, so we decided to rent a van and go up to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

We had a few people come with us, which was a lot of fun. We packed a lunch of cheese and crackers, and Frisbee and blanket, not knowing what to expect, other than that there were some caves and a "safari" we could go on. We left around 9:15 and were at the park around 10am which was a lot faster then we expected, because others had warned us it would take a little while, even though it is "in town".

A side note about roller skates. As we were driving away from our apartment, down the road that runs along the water, half of the road was blocked off and their was a huge crowd. We soon realized they were having some kind of kids rollerskating race down the road that morning. This was a very serious event too. The kids, ranging in age from 5 or 6 on up, had professional suits, all the helmets and pads needed and offical race numbers. What a strange and fun thing to stumble upon! We were a little sad that we didn't know it was happening and we weren't able to stop and watch.

So back to the park, when we arrived we went first to the caves. We have already seen the caves on Elephanta Island, but these were a bit different. First off, there was a LOT more of them. I think someone mentioned it kind of felt like we were in a Star Wars movie on some dessert planet. Each of the caves felt like a home with different rooms and columned entrances, even little front porches. Some had Buddhist carvings and some were just plain. We kept walking up and up and there were more and more. We also got a fun view over the park, which is quite large, and a little bit of the city in the background.

When we were done with the caves, we all got back in the van and decided to head over to the safari. Now the safari is really a 10 minute bus ride into a caged area where they keep some lions and tigers and leopards. When we arrived there was a HUGE line of people waiting. We parked the car and decided to each lunch and rotate having people wait in line, since we had all heard about the safari and were all excited to go, if only for the cheesiness of it. After a few minutes, the first group of people who were waiting in line came back. It was noon at that point, and apparently the people who run the safari take a break from 12:30 to 2pm. So we figured we wouldn't get on a bus before 12:30 and didn't want to wait until 2.

We were a bit disappointed, but our driver suggested that we take the mini-train ride instead, which goes around the edge of the area where they keep the animals. So after finishing our lunch, we wandered over to the mini-train and got in line. This line was considerably shorter and so we had high hopes. We did end up waiting for an hour or so before getting on the train. Although the line was shorter, it was still really busy and of course it was a mini train. As we were waiting we got to see another group get on and realized we were in for an adventure!

Because it was a busy day at the park (because of the three day weekend) the mini-train ended up being a lot like what a real train is like during rush hour. First off, as people were waiting, some crossed over the tracks and waited over there in hopes of getting a better seat on the train. Once the train started pulling in, as in it had not stopped yet, people started jumping on and pushing their way to the seats. When we watched, it seemed like there was a bigger rush in the back, so we decided to wait closer to where the front of the train would be. That turned out to be a big mistake, because people were even pushier and jumped on earlier then they had the previous train. So about half of us pushed our way on, and forced our butts in seats, pretty much forcing others out. The other half of our group, one of whom is 6 months pregnant, decided that looked like a bad idea, and ended up jumping on near the back of the train, which was apparently much less crowded.

So off we went on our little train ride. About a minute in, there was a cage with two lepords sleeping, which only some of us saw, and then a few deer. The rest of the ride, was driving around the park, looking and the dead, dry plants and garbage EVERYWHERE in the national park. Pretty disappointing. I think we all agreed though that the adventure of getting on the train was pretty much the most exciting part and worth the 15 rupees each that we paid.

After the train ride, we went to the memorial for Sanjay Gandhi, which was a very nice little garden, but I think we all realized, we didn't know who Sanjay was. Later that night I looked it up, and here is what I found. We also went to the Jain temple and by that time we were ready to head home.

We had a great time, and it was nice to get out and do some walking around, although it's still not the same as getting away from the smog and away from the litter. We will be sure to take visitors here as it's a nice introduction to some of the caves in India and fun to walk around.

Also, be sure to check out the pictures and video's from the day.

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K&E